How to Winterize Your Outdoor Plumbing
Even though the weather here in Los Angeles and nearby communities is usually great most of the year, California is not immune from occasional bouts of winter weather. In fact, it’s not uncommon to have snow, sleet, and freezing rain now and then. Since Mother Nature likes to flex her muscles on occasion, our team here at Boss Plumbing thinks it’s important that our customers learn how to protect outdoor pipes from freezing. Should one of your home’s exterior pipes develop even a small crack, gallons of water could come out in a matter of minutes, damaging your home in the process. If you’re ready to keep your outdoor water pipes from freezing, here’s what you need to know.
Why Do You Need to Protect Outdoor Pipes?
Like most homeowners, you probably assume that only your home’s interior pipes need maximum protection from freezing. However, if you ignore your home’s outdoor pipes, we can almost guarantee that at some point you will be dealing with frozen water pipes that will bring with them plenty of mess and damage to your home.
In many situations where outdoor pipes freeze, it is because they have not been completely drained prior to cold weather. Other times we have found that an outside pipe has frozen due to the garden hose still being connected to the spigot. When this happens, the problem becomes twofold. First, water is trapped within the hose and pipe, which of course freezes. When this occurs, this leads to a large amount of pressure inside the pipe, which ultimately finds its way into other interior or exterior pipes. At some point, you’ll have a burst pipe or two on your hands.
How to Protect Your Outdoor Pipes During Winter
Now that you have a better idea of just what can happen to your home’s outdoor plumbing when you fail to protect your outdoor pipes from winter’s cold temperatures, our Boss Plumbing team is ready to give you some tips on protecting those precious pipes.
Drain the Pipes
As we said earlier, draining your pipes is the best way to protect against frozen pipes. This is especially important if you have an older home, since an older home means older cast iron pipes that probably need to be replaced. If this sounds like your home’s pipes, it’s a good bet those cast iron pipes are rusting on the outside and also the inside. Instead of continuing to take chances with these older pipes, talk to our experts about using copper pipes to replace those old, worn-out cast iron pipes.
Seal Up Leaks
Keep in mind that exterior pipes usually lead to the inside of your home. Thus, should there be openings around those pipes that allow cold air to get trapped around the pipes, it becomes much easier for them to freeze. Instead of letting this happen, we suggest you get some caulk and seal up any openings around not only your outdoor pipes, but also any wiring, dryer vents, or other areas that could lead to frozen pipes.
Insulate Outdoor Faucets and Pipes
If you hear that the outside temperature is expected to get to 28 degrees Fahrenheit and stay there or go lower for awhile, we recommend you insulate outdoor pipes and faucets as soon as possible. To do so, heat cables and heat tape are made to provide maximum protection for long periods of time. However, there are also many items you likely already have around your home that can also work well in a pinch. One of the best is duct tape, which will easily stick to the pipes and act as a solid source of insulation. Expanding spray foam can also work very well, since it can get into cracks and crevices around pipes and faucets in a matter of minutes, harden, and provide an excellent barrier against cold air.
Add Faucet Covers
Whenever our Boss Plumbing customers ask for recommendations about winterizing outdoor pipes, our plumbing experts are quick to start talking about the benefits associated with faucet covers. Easy to install, faucet covers work well because they trap heat that comes from your home’s indoor plumbing and deposit it at the outdoor spigot. So long as you create a tight seal around the faucet, it’s very unlikely you will experience frozen pipes or burst pipes.
Monitor Outdoor Pipes for Freezing
It’s also a good idea for you to regularly check your home’s outdoor pipes and faucets for any signs of them becoming frozen. To do so, be especially on the lookout for any pipes or faucets that show frost or condensation, since this means moisture is present in and around the plumbing. Should you notice pipes that appear to be bulging, chances are they are getting ready to burst. As a precaution, turn off the water supply to those pipes and contact us here at Boss Plumbing as fast as possible.
Leave Your Outdoor Faucets Open
Just as it is when you leave your home’s indoor faucets open during the winter, the same will hold true if you leave outdoor faucets open. By having a very small amount of water going through the pipes 24/7, this will create just enough water pressure to prevent the pipes from freezing. Though you may pay a few more dollars on your utility bill, it will be well worth the peace of mind that comes with knowing your pipes won’t freeze.
Turn off Water Supply
If you drain your pipes and then use the shut-off valve to cut off the water supply to faucets and pipes, there won’t be any water left to freeze and burst the pipes. Shut-off valves may be located inside or outside your home, so find them and turn them off during the winter months.
Contact Us Today
If you’re determined to winterize your outdoor plumbing so that frozen pipes don’t happen at your home, contact us today here at Boss Plumbing to learn more about us and the many residential plumbing services our team offers. When you combine our experience with our fantastic customer service, free estimates, 24/7 service, and a philosophy that no job is too big or too small, you’ll know you’ve got the best plumbers in Los Angeles taking care of your home and its pipes.
